Sleepless in Seattle

Mummy got sick. And it happened just like that.

There's nothing anybody could do.

It isn't fair. There's no reason.

And if we start asking why, we'll go crazy.

Five minutes in the microwave.

Any one of them. Five minutes, and ready to eat.

Do you know how to make juice?

Microwave. Five minutes.

Here. It's my shrink. Call him.

Loss of Spouse Support Group.

Chicago Cancer Family Network.

Parents without Partners. Partners without Parents.

"Hug Yourself," "Hug a Friend," "Hug a Shrink." Or work.

Work hard, work will save you. Work is the only thing that will see you through this.

Don't mind him, he's just a guy who's lost his wife.

What I think we really need is change.

Good idea. Take a couple of weeks off, get some sun, take Jonah fishing.

No, real change. A new city.

Some place where every time I go around a corner I don't think of Maggie.

Where are you gonna go?

I was thinking about Seattle.

Eventually, in a few months, you'll start seeing women. You'll meet someone.

Right, right. Move on, right, that's what I'm gonna do.

And then in a few months, boom, I'll be fine. I'll just grow a new heart.

Sam, I'm sorry... She didn't mean that.

I know, I know. Look, it just doesn't happen twice.

[JIMMY DURANTE'S "AS TIME GOES BY" PLAYS]

The tall one with red hair is your cousin Irene.

You'll recognise her by the disappointed look on her face.

Married to Harold, who ran off with the secretary.

Who came back because Irene threatened to put the dog to sleep if he didn't.

Your brother Dennis is professor at Johns Hopkins.

He's married to, uh, Betsy.

The most competitive woman in the world.

I don't see how I'm gonna remember all this.

Oh, well, Walter, you will!

Your Uncle Milton lost all of his money.

And some other people's.

In a pyramid scheme. Don't mention the IRS or the federal prisons system.

Your mother's Barbara, your father's Cliff

My father has electric trains. Really?

Am I what they had in mind?

Oh, Walter, they're gonna love you!

Everybody, Annie has an announcement.

Oh... Walter and I are engaged.

Thank you. Thank you.

Mum knew. Dad, Mum knew.

I don't see a ring, Annie.

Congratulations, Walter.

Bless you. Bless you!

Are you all right? It's nothing. It's nothing.

Maybe it's the flowers.

We'll move them.

No, don't touch them! I feel terrible, sneezing at a time like this.

This is a very important moment for me.

He's allergic to everything, don't worry about him.

Bees. I'm allergic to bees.

Harold is allergic to every type of bee.

We always have to carry a hypodermic of adrenalin wherever we go.

If he eats even one tiny piece of a nut...

My head swells up like a watermelon and I drop dead.

It's the same with him and bees.

Your mother and I had salmon at our wedding.

I really think a wedding without cold salmon is...

I'm not allergic to salmon. Oh, he's not allergic...

I don't think. But you never know.

You never know. Harold wasn't always allergic to bees.

Oh, honey, what a shame.

We had some champagne. What did we use it for?

Uncle Milton's parole.

And it was delicious. It was, wasn't it, Milton?

When are you getting married? In early June, in the garden.

Oh...

What about Harold and bees? I'm allergic to bees.

We'll spray you.

Cold salmon, a lovely cucumber salad, strawberries.

I'm afraid I am allergic to strawberries.

Is this all right with you?

Today, I'm consider myself the luckiest man-man-man on the face of the earth-earth-earth.

The Lou Gehrig line from...

Remember, Dad, the Lou Gehrig line from, uh...

Pride of the Yankees. Pride of the Yankees.

Pride of the Yankees! Yeah. Yeah.

Baseball. It's baseball. Historical reference.

I would like to propose a toast.

Hear, hear. To my kid sister.

To Walter and my baby.

To Walter and Annie.

Everyone, please eat before it gets cold.

Here it is. The Historical Society wanted this

and I never would give it to them.

Oh, Mum...

I noticed these things are back in fashion.

Grandmother's dress.

Oh, honey. He's a lovely man, Annie.

I know he is wonderful, isn't he?

And he's such a wonderful athlete. Are his folks nice?

You'll love them.

We're going down to DC tonight to be with them Christmas morning.

How did it happen? It's silly, really.

I mean, I'd seen him at the office. Obviously I'd seen him.

He's the associate publisher.

And then one day we both ordered sandwiches from the same place

and he got my lettuce and tomato on whole wheat, which, of course, he was allergic to.

And I got his lettuce and tomato on white.

How amazing. It is, isn't it?

You make a million decisions that mean nothing

and then one day you order takeout that changes your life.

Destiny takes a hand.

Mum, destiny is something we've invented

because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental.

Then how do you explain that you both ordered exactly the same sandwich

except for the bread?

How many people in this world

like lettuce and tomato without something else, like tuna?

Well, it wasn't a sign. It was a coincidence.

I was in Atlantic City with my family, Cliff was a waiter.

He wasn't even supposed to work that night. Suppose he hadn't?

He asked me to take a midnight walk on the Steel Pier.

I probably told you this a million times, but I don't care.

Then he held my hand.

At one point I looked down and I couldn't tell which fingers were his and which were mine.

And I knew. What?

You know.

What? Magic. It was magic.

Magic.

I knew we'd be together forever. And that everything would be wonderful.

Just the way you feel about Walter.

Walter. It's quite a formal name.

One of the things I truly knew was that your father and I

were going to have a wonderful time in

the sack, I believe you call it.

Mum.

Of course it took several years before everything

worked like clockwork in that department.

So don't be worried if it takes a while.

We already... Fine, fine. Fiddly-dee. How's it working?

Like clockwork. Oh, honey...

It's a sign. You don't believe in signs.

They loved you. I told you they would love you, and they loved you.

I love you. I love you, Walter.

Did anyone ever call you anything other than Walter?

No.

Not even when you were young? No, not even when I was young.

You sure you don't want to drive with me?

Oh, how will I get back to Baltimore on Friday?

I forgot the present. Walter, I left your stepmother's present inside by accident.

I swear, when we're old and grey

you gonna have to remind me to put my teeth in.

I'll be walking all over town smacking my gums together, not even noticing.

I'll wait. You'll wait? Oh, right.

No, don't wait, Walter. Really, it's silly, you go ahead. We're late anyway.

I'll be ten minutes behind you.

[ROGERS' AND DALE EVANS' "JINGLE BELLS" PLAYS]

Welcome back to "You and Your Emotions."

I'm Dr. Marcia Fieldstone, broadcasting live across America

from the top of the Sears Tower in Chicago.

Tonight we're talking about wishes and dreams.

What's your wish this Christmas Eve?

What's your wish? My wish is to turn the radio station.

Subject of this evening's medical update is: "You and your spleen."

And your host is... Not on your life.

Coming up, "Jingle Bells" backwards, sung by the New Jersey...

Seattle, go ahead. Hello, this is Jonah...

No last names, Jonah.

You sound younger than our usual callers. How old are you?

I'm 8.

Eight? How come you're up so late?

It's not that late in Seattle.

Oh, of course, you're absolutely right.

All right, what's your Christmas wish, Jonah?

It's not for me, it's for my dad. I think he needs a new wife.

You don't like the one he has now?

He doesn't have one now. That's the problem.

Where's your mum?

She died.